ATG6 — Cicer arietinum

Summary

CaATG6 (LOC101514766) on chickpea chromosome 5 encodes a protein with Atg6/Beclin and BARA domains that binds phosphoinositides, ubiquitin, mRNA and proteins. The gene is associated with phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate, PIP3, PtdIns-3-P and PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding, and with processes including response to ethanol and starvation, vacuolar protein sorting, multivesicular body formation, cell plate formation, immune and defence responses to fungi, and downregulation of abscisic acid signalling. It localises to the PI3K complex, pre-autophagosomal structure, ESCRT I complex, late endosome membrane, clathrin-coated vesicle, cell plate, pollen tube, endosome, membrane and cytosol. Associations with pollen fertility restoration, oxidative stress response, plant growth and development, salt tolerance, pathogen resistance, and male fertility have been noted. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to autophagy, vacuolar biogenesis, leaf senescence, hypersensitive response, pollen tube growth and male sterility.